Kashmir Great Lakes
Seven alpine lakes, four passes, seventy-two kilometres on foot. India's most beautiful trek, and it is not close.
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Placeholder artwork — real trip photography drops in here.
About this trip
There is a reason people who have trekked everywhere else in India still call this the best one. Seventy-two kilometres from Sonamarg to Naranag across four passes, camping beside seven alpine lakes that each look like the last one was a rehearsal — Vishansar, Kishansar, Gadsar, Satsar, the twin Gangbal lakes. Meadows the colour of a lie, shepherd camps, and no road access for six days. Rehan has crossed this eleven times. It is a genuinely hard trek and we will not pretend otherwise.
- Seven alpine lakes in six days of walking
- Gadsar pass at 4,180m, the high point of the route
- Camping at Gangbal, under Harmukh peak
- Meadows above Nichnai that do not photograph properly
- A route with no road access for six days — genuinely off-grid
Day by day
8 days, written by the host who runs it.
Day 1Srinagar to Sonamarg
Drive from Srinagar to Shitkadi near Sonamarg, 2,740m. Gear check, briefing, and an early night. Your bag gets weighed.
Day 2Sonamarg to Nichnai
11km, climbing to 3,500m through birch forest and out onto the Table Top meadow. First proper day and a real one.
Day 3Nichnai to Vishansar
13km over the Nichnai pass at 4,100m, then down to camp beside Vishansar lake. The first of the seven, and the moment most people understand what they signed up for.
Day 4Vishansar to Gadsar
16km, the longest day. Past Kishansar, over the Gadsar pass at 4,180m — the highest point of the trek — and down past Yamsar to camp at Gadsar.
Day 5Gadsar to Satsar
12km over the Satsar pass, with an army check post en route where you will need your ID. Camp among the Satsar lakes.
Day 6Satsar to Gangbal
11km over the Zaj pass and down to the twin Gangbal and Nundkol lakes, under Harmukh. The best campsite on the trek, and the last night under canvas.
Day 7Gangbal to Naranag
13km, all descent, out of the alpine and down into pine forest to Naranag. Drive to Srinagar. A shower, a real bed, and a dinner nobody talks through.
Day 8Srinagar, and out
Breakfast, then airport drop. A houseboat night can be added if you want to stay on — just ask.
What the price covers
Included
- 7 nights — 1 in Sonamarg, 5 in trek camps, 1 in a Srinagar hotel
- All meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 8
- Tents, sleeping bags rated to −10°C, sleeping mats and a dining tent
- A certified trek leader, a local guide, cook and support crew
- All permits and forest fees
- Transport from Srinagar to Sonamarg and Naranag back to Srinagar
- Oxygen, a stretcher and a comprehensive medical kit with the group
Not included
- Flights to and from Srinagar
- Personal trekking gear — rucksack, shoes, jacket, poles
- A porter or mule for your bag, if you want one — around ₹3,500 for the trek
- Travel insurance with trekking cover, which is mandatory here
- Anything personal, and any cost from a weather-forced evacuation
Where you sleep, how you move
Stay
One night in a Sonamarg guesthouse and one in a Srinagar hotel, both with attached bathrooms and hot water. Five nights in three-person tents used as twin sharing, with sleeping bags rated to −10°C. There are no toilets on the trail beyond a dug pit tent — this is real camping.
Transport
Private vehicles for the Srinagar transfers at each end. On the trek, your own legs.
What to carry
- A 50–60L rucksack, plus a small daypack
- Layers: thermals, fleece, and a windproof outer shell
- Broken-in trekking or walking shoes — not new ones
- Sunglasses, SPF 50, lip balm, a wide-brimmed hat
- A reusable water bottle — we do not carry single-use plastic
- Personal medication, plus any prescription you rely on
- A power bank; charging points are scarce past the last town
Who this trip is for
Open to 18–48, and you must be able to cover 5km on flat ground in under 40 minutes and climb four flights of stairs without stopping. Six consecutive days of walking at altitude with four pass crossings. Anyone with a heart, lung, knee or blood-pressure condition, or who is pregnant, should not book. We will ask for a basic fitness declaration and a doctor's clearance if you are over 45.
Cancellation & refunds
Specific to this trip, because a permit-bound Himalayan departure cannot carry the same terms as a weekend by a river.
- More than 45 days before departure — full refund, less a ₹2,500 processing fee.
- 30 to 45 days before departure — 60% refund. Permits and stays are blocked this far out and are non-recoverable.
- 15 to 29 days before departure — 30% refund.
- Under 15 days before departure — no refund. Your seat is transferable to a friend at no cost.
- Weather or road closures are outside anyone's control. If we cannot run the trip you get a full refund or a free transfer.
Full terms are in our refund & cancellation policy.
Meet your host
Rehan Qureshi
Based in Srinagar, Kashmir · 6 trips led
Certified mountain leader with eleven Great Lakes crossings and a wilderness first-responder certification he has unfortunately had to use. Our most senior trek host and the person who trains the others.
“A good trek host is boring. Nothing goes wrong, because you saw it coming two days ago.”
Not quite the one?
There are other departures, and we would rather put you on the right trip than the nearest one.
Or reach us on WhatsApp at +91 96063 37793